Slicing machine



J. FOLK SLVICING MACHINE June 11, v1935'.

mi QN N 1%. .Wi m5, KN N 1. v v f Y .WWU m. ma Nk @u n. n Nw mm wt .RNWN if M June 11, 1935. 1mm' sLIcING MACHINE Fled June 30,1930

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.NQ WL v4une 11, 1935.

.l. FOLK Y 2,004,601

SLICING MACHINE Filed June 50, 1930 e sheets-'sheet June l l, 1935,

,1. FOLK s LIcING MACHINE F`i1ed June :5o.` 195o e sheets-sheet 4 Q auf June 1l, 1935. 1 FQLK v 2,004,601

SLICING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 5 J70 van or.'

TPM

June 1l, 1935. J. FOLK 2,004,601

SLICING MACHINE Filed June 30, 195o e sheets-sheet 6 Patented `une 11, 1935 Unirse STATES rArEN'r cette@ sLicrNG MACHINE' `loseph Folk, La Porte, Ind., assignor to U. S. Slicing Machine Company, La Porte, Ind.; a corporation 'of Indianal Application June so, lesfserial No. 464;:23 22, claims.v (o1.l 14e- 102) The present invention relates to a slicing maproved motor mounting, the motor being so chine and particularly that type of a slicing mamounted as not to obstruct the space beneath` chine in which the knife is operated independthe knife and yet so arranged as not to'materialently of the work homer S as to permit, .the lyincrease the overall dimensions .of the slicing work holder and knife to be operated at any machine. ..1 Y

desired speeds, and particularly any desired Another object of this invention resides in speed relatively to eachother. Preferably the the provision of a novel' form of knife guard knife is motor driven and the work holder is Which ordinarily is so positioned that the top manually actuated. edge of the knife as well as ther rearwedge of one object of this invention is to so arrange the knife is substantially protected, but which 10 the various parts of the slicing machine that can be quickly mOVed t0 a DOSOI! in WhiCh the there is a clear space adjacent the knife on the upper edge 0f the knife may be eXlOOSed OI1 side away from the work holder to permit the sharpening purposes. v operator of the slicingv machine to more effec- A very important object of this invention is l5 tively remove the slices as they are cut. IA to provide an improved form` of gage plate for l5 clearance space below the knife permits one to gagng' the thickness Of theslices being C1111 and readily remove scraps of material which fall bewhich may be quickly mOVS- t0 SllCh a DOSOH low the knife and enable one to wipe up the that the same may be readilycleaned without grease that drops from the knife onto the surdetaching the same from the slicing machine. faces therebelow. In constructing the work holder I prefer to 20.

Prior known machines were so constructed as useian operating handle for causing the work to render the space beneath the knife practiholder to move towards the cutting plane of cally inaccessible. In some machines it has vbeen the knife and 1 SimultaneOuSly act aS a means the practice to use small scrap pans which may which mayV be used by the operator to manube slipped into a narrow place beneath the knife ally reCpIOCate the WOrk Support relatively to 25 to receive the grease and the scraps which fall the knife. from the knife. However, this arrangement has A still further object of this invention resides. not proved entirely satisfactory and only adds in providing animproveol form of support for to the cost of the machine. Furthermore, it does the. slice being cut. This support is adapted to not remove all of the scraps or grease formed lie in IOIlt 0f the r'Cutting edge ,of .the knife 30 by the knife and the remaining particles must and adjacent thereto at alltimes during the be cleaned out by some means and itis not' very cutting operation to support the lower edge of easy to do this due to the arrangement of the the slice` as the same is being cut. This supvarious parts of the machine. port furthermore is so arranged that it will More specifically an object of this invention is move vertically and always lie in the same plane 35 to so arrange the knife supporting bracket that as4 the supporting surface of the work support the same extends to the rear of the machine in or in the same position relatively vto said plane. a direction backwardly and downwardly and con- This is particularly deSrable in' the mahne nects with the base of the machine at a posiwhich I have disclosed since in this machine 40 tion substantially at the rear edge of the cutting the supporting Surface is at an angle to the 40 knife. This arrangement leaves the space behOriZOntal. neath the bearing for the knife entirely free of Another object of thsinvention resides inthe any obstruction and one may position a fiat slice provision of a Suitable guard plate Which DTS- supporting platform adjacent the knife and in vents the substance 4from rubbing against the such a position that the slice supporting platsurface `of. the knife after the substance has 15 form may extend beneath the knife as well'as passedv the `cutting edge thereof.l l*This guard adjacent the cutting plane of the knife on the plate is readily detachable for the purpose of side opposite to the work holder. cleaning... I preferably'employ a dished knife Another object of this invention is to mount and arrange theg'uard platewithin the hollow the slice receiving platform so that the same may portion Of the diShed knife- This guard plate .iS be readily removed for cleaning purposes. preferably provided withgroovesA for the pur- Another object of this invention resides'in the poseshereinafter specied. f improved form of slice deector which is used A still 'further object of my invention is to to deiiect the slices away from the knife. provide` a machine Ain .which ak slice receiver Another object of this invention is ani im-Y may 'be vmoved :bodily with Vthe Awork table. 55

knife and yet intersect the cutting plane thereof.

In the drawingsl Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a-machine embodying my invention; .l

Fig. 2 is aside elevational view looking at the slicing machine from the side opposite' to that in Fig. 1; l ,Au

Fig. 3 is a section on the line S-Sof Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section takensubstantiallyalong k the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, the slicing machine car-` riage having been moved to dposition at'zsthe.

other end of its travel;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the 1i' v"e Siti of" Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the improved form of slice supporting member and showing its relation with respect to the work support and the slicing knife; y.'Fig. 7 is Va section taken substantially lalong the line 'I-l of Fig. 6;` 1 .Y i Fig. 8 shows the construction of thefslice supporting member; l L

Fig. 9 shows the manner of attaching. aslice support to the work holder to cause the same to move with said work holder;

Fig. l0 is a view looking ini-the direction of I-i in Fig. 9';

Fig- 1l is a sectional view showing `the manner in which the knife is drivenand further illustrating the slice-deflectormounting; Y

Fig. 12 isa plan view ofthe slice lreceiver shown in Figs. 9 and 10; i

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 2, 4 and 5, it will benoted that the slicing machine comprises a base memberV l` supported by means of rubber feet 2, these rubber feet comprising suitably shaped membershaving projecting portions extending into suitable openings 4in the underside of thebase. On this base member 1, I mount a combinedwcover guard and guide rod support 3. This support comprises the .upstanding bracket members securedto the base member by means of the screws 5 yandaeonnecting cover portion I5 having a cross-section as best illustrated in Fig. 4; At one side themember 3 is provided with a guard portion 'I which is a continuation of the cover portion 6. A vguidev rod 8 best illustrated in Fig. '5 is mounted in the end brackets 4 and is held against longitudinal movement in the end brackets by means of the screws 9 and washers I0. Any other suitable means'however, may be usedtov hold this guide rod in place. Surrounding this guide rod adjacent the brackets 4 are felt washers II which act to cushionthey movement of the carriage (presently to be described) as the same reciprocates along the guide rod and approaches the end of 'its travel. in either direction. .lArranged in spaced parallel relation with the guide rod 8 is a guide bar' I2. This guide bar is secured to theybase by means of the screws I3 'and is preferably square in cross-sectionas best illustratedin Fig. 4. "A casting indicated generally as I4; has a bearingportion 'I5 sur--v rounding the guide rod'.y and laldown'wardly projecting portion :I6 whichY hasa.` plate vI'l fastened thereto at i8 andthis plate' is adapted-to abut against the' lower side"of.,the.:guidebar I 2. The upper part of the guide bar abutting against a horizontally extending portion i9 in the downwardly extending portion It is adapted to receive a lubricant retaining member, preferably of felt, and a quantity of lubricant is introduoed into the opening 20 through the opening 22.` The guide bar I2 therefore prevents rotative movement of the casting I4 about the guide rod .8 and further assists in supporting thec'asting I4.

The casting I4 is adapted to support the Veshaped work holder 23. This work holder comprises a V-shaped casting 24 provided with the downwardly extending bosses 25 which are securedto the casting I4 by means of the bolts ,25: The upper surface of the casting 24 is covered 'with apiece of sheet metal 21 upon Ywhich thesubstance is adapted to be supported.

This is fastened onto the casting 24 by means '0f 'the bOltS 28.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2, 4 and, it will be seen that the knife supporting bracket-,comprises a base plate 29 and webs 30 -and 3|. These webs are relatively thin, and it lwill-.bje noted fromfan inspection of Figs. v.2 and 4 that the web 30 extends backwardly and downwardly from the bearing support 32 which is adapted to rotatably support the knife, thus leaving a relatively clear space directly beneath the knifeand practically all the way to the rear ofjsaid knife. The web v3l extends upwardly from the base plate 2S and then inclines towardthe :bearing support 32, thus providing a great amount of clearance for the operators handand the slice both below the knife and adjacent the cutting plane thereof. Furthermoregthis arrangement permits me to use a slice receiver which will move with the substance support and in a manner which will later be described. y

VThe baseplate of the knife supporting bracket is adjustably mounted on the base I by means of bolts 29 passing through slots 28 in the base. The slots extend in4 a direction toward the cutting plane of the knife so that as the edgegof 'the dished knife is ground and worn away, the cutting edge of the knife may be positioned close to the edge of the work holder. Due tothe grinding unit 53, motor d2, guard 38 and shield I2I being also supported on the bracketthe same are moved bodily with the knife scthat ,their `adjustment with respect thereto isnot changedwhen the bracket is adjusted.

In Fig. 4 it will be noted that the bearing support 32 receives 'the bushing 33 and the bushing 33 infturn' supports the antifriction bearings 34 which supportthe knife shaft 35. A driven wheel 36 havinga V-shaped groove 37 in the periphery thereof `is keyed to the shaft 35 and is adapted torotate the shafti when driven as hereinafter specified. A dished knife 38 has a ypin 39 extending therethrough and through the hub of the driven' wheel 36 so as to prevent relative rotation between the driven wheel 36 and the knife 38. 1 A bolt 40 and washer 4I are usedU to securev the knife on. the shaft 35 and hold the samel against llongitudinal movement along `the shaft. j

The,set screw 34' an'd lock nut 35' are used kto lock the bushing 33 in adjusted position longitudinally of the shaft 35 as well as to prevent rotation thereof.`

With this adjustment the knife can be positionedas'close as desired tothe edge of the work holder 23. Itfislimportant that the cut. ting edge of thev knife be'. as.l closefaspossible to the edge ofthe work holderV sorthat whena slice iscut the bottom edge thereof will not be ragged and in order that todmany scraps may not be produced.

A motor 42 is secured-to the-.web l.3| .in the following manner: f z .i

The web 3l is providedwth thebosses .43 which engage the cylindrical .'outer surface of the motor 62 and have surfaces substantially conforming tosuch cylindrical surface. -A strap 44 secured Iby means of .the screws145 to. the web 3l extends around .the motor and has a member 45 secured to the other end` thereof. A bolt 4l extends through the web 3.! .and is received within a vsuitably threadedopening n the memberll. The bolt 4! is -rotatablein the web 3|. It will beseernby this arrangement that when the bolt 4l is rotated in the. proper direction, the member 46 will'be drawn toward the web 3l to thereby increase the tensioninfthe strap 44 and draw themotor' 42 against the bosses 43.

The motor has'a rotor shaft 48 which carries a driving pulley 49 at the end thereof adjacent the knife. This pulley 49 has a AV-shaped groove therein similar to the groove 31 in lthe -driven wheel 36. A V-shaped driving belt 50 is trained over the pulleys 38 and 49. so that when the motor is rotating, the knife is driven through the intermediary of the pulleys 45 and 36 and the belt 55. A switch 5| mounted on the web 3! is suitably connected to the motor for turning the motoi` on and off as desired. The wires leading to the motor have notbeen shown, but itis obvious that this motor may be connected to a suitable source of electricity. in any desired manner. I n

By providing the strap 44 and bolt 41 for tightening the same the motor may be moved towards and from the knife as desired. This is necessary for the purpose vof aligning the driving pulleys 45 and 35 when the knife is adjusted towards or away from the work holder so that the belt will not become worn due to unalined pulleys or tend to impart irregular movement to the knife. i

A grinding unit 52 of well known construc-v tion" and comprising the grinders 5 3 and 54 is rotatably and longitudinally movable in the supporting bracket 55 by means of a'supporting member 56. This bracket 55 is adjustably mounted for kmovement towards and from the knife by means of screws 55 which pass through slots 56 and are threaded into the boss 5T. In' the position shown the grinders are out of operative position and while the grinders are in this position I prefer to have the upper vedge of the knife covered by a suitable guard 5T. This guard 5l is substantially U-.shaped in crosssection as best illustrated in Fig. 4 and is pivoted at its lower end to the web 3U and in the .following manner: A bracket- 58 secured by the screws 5S to the web 35 has an offset portion ttl. A thumb screw 52 is threaded into the guard and passes through the offset portion 60 to thereby form a pivot about which the guard may be moved.

A casing B3 extends around the pulleys 36 and 49 and protects the same. At the same time this casing prevents the operatori from being injured if and when the belt 50 breaks. On top of this casing I mount a bracket 64 secured to lthe casing by means of a-'screw 65. @This bracket5'4fhas an arcuate'slot 66 therein. When the' bracket .54 is in place, the center .about which the arcuate slot 5.5 isgeneratedk lies vsubstantially at the center of the thumb screw 62; Abolt .6l passes through. the sideofv the yguard 5ln at lthe upper end thereof and' also passes:

throughthe arcuate slotV 56. A nut 68 .screw threaded on the end of the bolt $1 is `used for the purpose ofclamping the `guard in adjusted position. `Anioperating handle 69 is rigidly secured to the guard at a point on the outer surface thereof.

- .When itisdesired to sharpen the knife, it

only necessary to loosen thenut 68 andmove theA guardin a clockwise direction asin. Fig. .1 to position the same in the dotted vlineposition shown in that figure, thereby leaving` the spacedirectly above the center. of the knife free of any obstruction. At the same time theguard l'acts to guard the edge of the knifefandipre'- vent .anyone from accidentally cuttingv him` self on the `knife at theV rear edge thereof. Thegrinding unit 52 may-then be moved ver-I tically and then rotated horizontally to posi# tion the-grinders53 and 54 over the knifefin a welllknov/n manner, the slot "lil being provided for'this purpose. A pin (not'shown) movesin the slot min a well known manner to guide the movements of the rgrinding unit 52 and for preventing fouling of the knife or the improper use of the grinders. Ordinarily it is not necessary to loosen the thumb screw 52 when it isA desired vto move the guard so that the knife may be ground, but in case thethumb screw 62 has been tightened-a considerable amount, one-may have toloosen4 the thumb screw 52 as Well as the nut One wayto gage the thickness of the slice being cut is to provide a gage plate. Such a gage plateis generally mounted in a plane parallel to the cutting planeV ofthe knife and is adapted to move Athrough successive parallel positions so that thethickness of the slice may `be varied. In the. embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, I have illustratedan improved'form .of gage plate which has the advantage over prior devices of being more readily cleaned and which permits the operator tohave more room for using his handto withdraw/'slices as they are cut and is more simple in its conw struction than any of theprior art devices. In addition the gage 'plate is adapted to carry a guard which guards the forward edge'` of.` the knife..r Therefore, whenthe gage plate is moved to the position wherein it v is adapted to be cleaned, the forward edge of the knife is ex-v posed Vfor the purposes of cleaning or inspection. This gage plate is best shown in Figs. l, 2 `and 5. A bracket 'il isrigidly mounted at one` end of the base i and is held in place by means of thebolts l2. This bracket has bearings in the opposite ends thereof adaptedto rotatably supportthe rshaft 73, and also permit longitudinal movement of the shaft in` these bearings. `The end of the shaft which is adjacent the cutting plane of the' knife carries ia gage plate designa-ted generally as '14. This gage plate has a bearing portion 'I5 secured to the shaft 'i3 by the pin 'l'or any other Isuitable fastening means.v The gage plate comprises afat vertically disposed portion'l'and `va reinforcing rib 18.' 4The edge of the `gage plate adjacent the knifel is curved. to substantially the sameV curvature as the edge. of the-knife; vor rather the center of curvature of lthe forward edge of the 'gage plate 75;'

same point as the center'of rotation ofthe' knife. Thevertical` surfaceof theigagevplate which lies' adjacent the work holder 23 Vis grco'ved` as at 89 toorin'spaced ribs between the igrooves'. .This reduces the resistance`V which the gageplate 0ffers to the movement of the substance thereover. The forward edge'of the gage plate carries a guard 8| secured thereto' by suitable screws 82 or the'like. This guard, together with the guard 51; substantially guard the entire edge: of the knife with the exception of that part which is at the' bottom. The guard 51 and the guard 8h may be made lof suche. length as tov meet, or at least substantially meet at their opposed ends.

The spaced. ribs andgrooves also keep the gage plate cleaner and the same also permit the gage plate to be more readily cleaned by a few strokes of a cleaning cloth. With fiat plates a considerable suction .is produced between the plate and substance and this tends to draw a considerable amount -of grease-from the substance vbeing sliced and consequently the plate becomes coated very quickly. It' will also be noted that the gage plate is relatively low to reduce the resistance offered to the movement ofv the substance thereover, due to the fact that with large substances only a fractionalpart of the substance is in contact with the gage plate.

As stated before, the shaft 13 is capable of being movedlongitudinally within the bearings of the bracket 1I. In order to keep the guard plate from rotating however, during the normal use thereof, I provide a boss 83 on themember 3 at a point near the junction between the portion 1 and the portion 6 thereof. provide the plate 11with a pin 84 having an enlarged head 85 and a slot v86, the latter extending substantially the entire exposed length of` the pin. The head 85 normally has a larger overall dimension than the` diameter of the opening 81 in the boss 83 so that when the head 85 is forced into the opening 81, the parts thereof on opposite sides of the slot 86 are moved towards each other, and this causes the two portions of the enlarged head to exert an outward frictional force onthe side walls of the opening 81. This prevents the gage plate from rattling and also guides the gage plate along a predetermined path without a substantial amount of friction.` The pin 94 extends through the gage plate and is locked in place thereon by means of the nut 98. i t

Byv the arrangement just described, it will be seen that the .shaft 13 lmay be moved longitudinally of its axisso as to position the 'face of the gage plate in successive parallel planes at varying distances from the cutting planev of the knife. The normal` movements however, of the shaft longitudinally of its axisare limited so that the pin 84 cannot movevout of the opening 81 and thus destroy the value of the pin 84 as a guiding element. This is accomplished in the following manner:

The shaft 13 is formed'with screw threads 89 at one end thereof, and isinternally threaded at the same end to receive the screw99 having the operating head 9i. A washer 92.` is inter-l posed between the end. of i the shaft and the head 9|. This washerfis adaptedv to slide longitudinally in the recess 93: provided inl the gage plate adjusting knob 94. This knobV 94ha`s a screw 95 rotatably mounted in. the enlarged portion 98, and the inner end of this screw engages the threads 89 on .they shaft..13. i 'Iheltoirp'o' the t t gooien: has' its centerof'curvatureat substantially the' screw-95 is belowthel outer' peripheral surface of the enlargedvport'ionSE, and on the outer peripheral i'portionI vsecure` a cylindrically shaped 'plate 91 Icarrying designations indicating thexsizes'fof the slices to be cut. A pointer 98 r:

secured to the bracket 1I is adapted to cooperate with the designations oni the plate 91 to indicate the positionof the gageplate. y

A spring 99 abutting against the collar |09 secured to the shaft 13.and abuttingv against one of thebearings for the shaft normally urges the shaft upwardly asf'viewed' in Fig. 5, or in a direction to vcarry the" gage plate away from the cutting plane: offthe knife. The permitted movement 'of the shaft 13 in" an upward direction in Fig 5 is limited by the engagement of the enlargedportionv 96v on Vthe knob '91!k engaging the adjacent Vbearing for shaft 13. The position of vthe knob 94 on the shaft` 13 in turn is determined lby, the position fof the vscrew 95 lwith respect t0 the thread 89 on the Shaft 13.

It.` willbe noted that when the knob 94 is rotated in a. counter-clockwise directionv as viewed in Fig. 1, the endv ofthe screw 95 will travel in the thread 89 towards the adjacent end of the shaft-'13 thereby drawing the washer 92 into the recess 98. kfljaturally the amount of travel fcr'the screw 95 isllimited by the engagement f 'the vasherV 92 with the bottom of the recess 98. The parts are preferably s o proportioned that one complete movement of the knob 94 moves the washer 92 from one end oi the recess 93 tothe other end thereof.` As the -knob 9 is' rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, the spring acts tomove the shaft 1 3 in an upward direction as viewed in Fig. 5, and thereby carries the gagey plate 14 away from 4thi'acutting plane ofthe knife The operation of this gage plate is as follows: The substance to be sliced is placed on the substance support or work holder 23, and if desir'ed may be moved by hand or any other suitable meansy against the grooved surface 89 of thevga'ge plate. If the gage plate has been moved away froin'the cutting plane of the knife, tlienthe forward-edge of the substance being sliced will be past the cutting-plane of the knife a distance equal to the thickness ofthe slice desiredto be cut. When the work holder is thereafter moved along the guide rod 8, the portion of the substance projecting over the cutting piane is Vseveredby the knife. The position of rthe gage .plate 14 will, of course, determine the thickness of the slice and the indications on the! cylindrical plate. 91 may be used to predetermine the thickness ofthe slice to becut. l It sometimes becomes desirable to clean the gage plate and also to clean the space beneath the gage plateY and between vthe gage plate and the member 3. In order to do this, it is only necessary' to move the screw 90 by means of the head 9| .tothe dotted line position shown in Fig. 5.' Thereafter the knob 94 may be given several complete movements in a counter-clockwise direction, andvv this will cause the shaft 13 to move axgreater `distance than'is normally permitted,V

as the .washer 92 will merely slide along the screw 98 'when it strikesv the bottom of. the recess 93 and will not limit the movement. ofthe shaft 13 until the head 9i of the screw 98 is engagedby the washer. j This amount of permitted movement of the. shaft 13 is sufficient to move the pm: M15 out of. the opening 81.. Since the Vshaft 13 is new free-to rotate in the bearings of the bracket 11..,the gage plate may be ymoved to` the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5 without having actually dismantled the gage plate or the supportingmechanism therefor. Itwill readily be seen that the gage plate maybe cleaned very thoroughly and that the parts of the machine adjacent the gage plate may be cleaned before again positioning the gage plate in its original position. Of course when the pin 84 is again positioned within the opening Bl, the screw 9B is moved to the full line position shown in Fig. 5, so that normally there is no chance forA the pin 84 to come out of the opening 81.

No claim is made herein broadly to a gage plate which is both slidable to effect` its gage functions and movable to inoperative position for cleaning and the like, as such construction is shown and broadly claimed in my co-,pending application, Serial No. 637,248, filed October 11, 1932. 'Ihe claims in the instant case are all limited to features of construction in connection with the gage plate which are not shown in the construction of said companion case.

The operator may be leaning a little tothe left of the cutting plane of the knife while the slices are being cut, to better enable him to handle the slices which he does with his left hand. At the same time he must move the substance support past the knife and the substance clamp towards the gage plate and therefore it is quite desirable that the gage plate be as low as possible so that he may observe the movements of his right hand. Furthermore, if he is not leaning to the left of the gage plate he will be able to more readily seethe slices as they are cut due to the lowness of the gage plate. The gage plate is also relatively thin and offers substantially no obstruction to the operators view as he stands in line with the cutting plane.

The feeding mechanism for the gage plate is located substantially entirely on the work holder side of the cutting plane and this leaves the space at the left of the cutting plane clear as well as positioning the feeding mechanism in the most convenient place for the operator. In some devices it has been proposed to place operating means for the gage plate beneath the slice receiving platform. Such an arrangement necessitates the raising of the entire machine in order that this mechanism be accessible for cleaning or repair. With my arrangementthe slice receiving platform can be made very low and be entirely free of any obstruction. The feeding mechanism is also in a convenient place for repair and cleaning.

It is well known that when a sliced passes the cutting edge of substance being the knife, that portion of the substance which remains on the work holder or support will cause a retarding effect on the knife if permitted to engage the surface thereof. I overcome this diiiiculty rst,

by providing a dished knife, and secondly, by providing a low guard plate |02. This guard plate has the grooves H32 on the surface thereof adjacent the substance being sliced for the same purpose as the .grooves in the gage plate. 'Ihe outer edge lS of the guard plate has a curvature whose center is substantially in the center of rotation of the knife so that the edge |533 always is substantiallyl at the same distancel away from the cutting edge of the knife at all points thereof. The guard plate IDI has pins 5M secured thereto at the bottom portion thereof. These pins have a screw threaded portion 5&5 passing through the lugs IDS and are held in place by means of the lock nuts lill. Bosses |08 on the member 3 have suitable openings therein for receiving the pins HB4. The pins IM have a relatively close t with the openings in the bosses Hi8 so as to hold the guard plate IBI in a predetermined position, and to also pref vent any relatively great amount of vibration thereof. These pins IM are preferably split as at 09 asbest illustrated in Fig.r 4. This is so that theY pin will exert a frictional resistance against accidental movement thereof in the openings invbosses E68. However, the frictional resistance should not be so great that the guard plate cannot readily be removed.

As best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, the base lis provided with upstanding bosses lll) upon which the slice receiving plate lll is adapted to resti Atspaced points on the base and adjacent the'edges of the slice receiving plate lll, I providea' plurality of thumb screws M2. Each of these thumb screws passes through a retaining plate H3 having angularly offset portions lle and H5 at the top and bottom respectively. The receiving plate has one side thereof abutting against the guardportion 'l ofthe member 3 at i i6 (see Fig. 4) and another edge of said slice receiving plate abuts at lll (see Fig. 2) against the base` plate 29. As best illustrated in Fig` 2 at the right, each of the thumb screws has a spring H8 surrounding the same and interposed between the bottom of a recess H9 and the plate H3, the thumb screw being screw threaded in the base l. The upper angularly offset portions H4 of the plates H3 engage the beveled edges of the slice receiving plate Il! and the lower angularly offset portions of the plates are adapted to abut against the beveled surfaces l2() within therecesses lZl. It lwill therefore be seen that as the thumb screws H2 are. rotated to clamp the plates in a direction towards the slice receiving plate, the angularly disposed upper and lower portions Il@ and I I5 willjtend to draw the plate Hl firmly against the bosses lli). Furthermore, when the thumb screws are` released it is not necessary to entirely remove the thumb screws in order to release the plate lll `for when the thumb screws have been loosened a predetermined amount, the plates H3 may be rotated at right angles to the positions shown inthe figures so -as to be below the lowervsurface of the plate Hi. The plate thereafter may be removed for the purposes of cleaning or for any like purpose.

`I provide a defiector plate I2I which is substantially a section of a cone and I mount this in such a manner as to position the forward edge 22 thereof substantially symmetrically with the cutting edgeof the knife 3B and removed slightly from the cutting edge of said knife. The purpose of this deector is 'to deflect the slices away from the knife after they have beencut and throw the same onto the slice receiving plate lll or else position them so that the operator may grasp the slice as it is being formed and carry the same directly towards the rear of the machine while the rest of the slice is being cut. By providing a large open space belowthe bearing support 32 and for a considerable distance to the rear thereof, the operator is -enabled to move his hand and the slice carried thereby in the same direction so that the slice will remain straightened out and in such a condition that the operator may place it on the slice receiving platev Il! so as to be ready for the next slice to be cut. At the bottom of the deector 13E I provide; an extension E23 and this extension is adapted to extend beyond the cutting edge of the knife tov assist the guards 8| and 51 in protecting theoperatorfrom the knife. I so mount the deflector |2| however, that the same may be quickly moved -to a position where it may be cleaned and to a position such that the knife may be cleaned .beneath the deflector. Or alternately I provide a means for quickly removing the deflector entirely. This means is best illustrated' in Figs. 2 and 3 and comprises an are shaped member |24 having a conical bearing point |25 fitting in the co-operating recess inthe boss |25." Diametrically 0pposed to the conical bearing point |25 isa thumb screw |21 rotatably mounted in the end of the member |24. This thumb screw has a conical bearing point |28 co-operating with a suitably yformed recess in the boss |29. The bosses |28 and |29 are a part of the casing 63 whichencloses the driving mechanism for the knife.

The conical points |25 and |28 together form pivots about which the member |24 may be ro-r tated. The deflector |2| is secured to the member |24 bythe screws I3@ which pass through the deflector and suitably formed' bosses |3|` (see Fig. 3). If it is desired to entirely remove the deilector, it is only necessary to retract the thumb screw a sufficient amount to withdraw the conical bearing point |28 from its recess and this thereafter causes the defiector to move outwardly away from the knife. Also mounted on the casing 63, is an angular bracket |32, one portion of the angular bracket being held against the casing 53 by means of a screw |33 passing through a slot |34. The other angular portion of the bracket extends outwardly from the casing 63 to form an abutment against which the member |24 is adapted toabut when the same is moved towards the knife, and this p0rtion |35 prevents the deflect-or from coming too close to the slicing knife 38 and permits one to adjust the deilector as close Vto the knife as may be desired to prevent scraps from being pushed between the deiector and the knife.

. The work clamp shown is of the type described andclaimed in my co-pending applicatiomSerial No. 465,597, filed July 3, `1930. As shown, it comprises generallyaclamp member |46 carried by the work holder or carriage 23. The clamp member carries suitable substance clamping means thereon, such for example as are shown in the patent to Luschka et al'. 1,356,165, dated October 19, 1920, which. clamping means aref operable to grip or release the substance by means of the handle |53. The clamp |46v is carried by the work holder 23 and hence it is movable therewith as the work holder is moved along the guide rod 8. The clamp, however, is slidably mounted upon the work holder for movement toward and from the gage plate 'Hi and the cutting plane of the knife. The clamp is movable toward and from the gage plate by means of handle |4| secured to the clamp. It will be seen that the single-handle IM may be utilized both to urge the clamp toward the gage plate and also ta reciprocate thework holder 23 along the guide rod 8. Further details of the clamp assembly are notset forth, this assembly being described Ain detail insaid co-pending application, wherein the novel features of the clamp are claimed. lFor l the purpose of the present invention any suitable substance clamp carried by the work holder and movable toward the gage plate and the plane of the cutting knife could be employed. The clamp could be movable manually or by automatic means.

The operation of the machine as described so far is as follows:

The substance to be sliced is placed on the l work holder 23, and the substance is clamped thereon by means of the clamping means. The gage plate 14 is positioned the desired distance away from the cutting plane of the knife by means of the operating knob S4. The operator grasps the Ahandle |l|| and exerts a pressure on the work clamp support in av direction longitudinally of the guide 8 and also toward the gage plate. 'This causes the work holder 23 to move past the cutting edge of the knife and n also holds the substance firmly against the gage plate 1li.

As the slice is out from the substance the operatorv grasps the forward edge of the slice and moves the same inv a general direction towards the rear of the machinewhile the remaining part of thel slice is being out; The clearance space provided for the operators hand permits him todo this. The substance which remains on the Awork holder23 engages the guard plate 'f ed and there is a tendency at lleast for the lower edge of the slice to be cut ragged.- I therefore desire to employymeansv Whichsupports the lower edge Yof the slice while it is being severed from the substance.` Owing to the sloping surfaceY of the work holder, it is not possible to provide a rigid stationary support since the point of contact between the knife and thelower edge of the substance is always changing and in a vertical direction, in fact the point of contact really moves in anarcuate path which is mostly vertical, due to the arcuate shape of the cutting edge ofthe knife. Y

Therefore, in order to properly support the edge 'of the slice at all times while the slice is being cut, I provide a support for the lower edge of the slice which remains in the same plane as the supporting surface of thework holder at all times during' the cutting operation. This means is` best illustrated in Figs. 6, 'l andvS and comprises the arcuate member |13 having the integral slice supporting projection |14 formed at the lower forward edge rthereof: as best illustrated in Fig. 8. The projection |13 is formed on anl outwardly projecting portion |15. The guard |16-in this 'instance is mounted rigidly on the member `f3\ and is secured thereto bymeans of the screws |11. A long arcuate groove l'iBvis provided in the guard |1B.Rivets |19 pass' through the arcuate slotl |13 and are securedv within the openings |88 "of the member |13, thereby holding the member |13 in definite relation tothe guard |16, the member |13, however, being'permitted to travel longitudinally of the slot 118. Each of the rivets |19 has antifriction rollers |8| mountedthereon for engaging the edges of the slot |18 in order to reduce the amount ofeffort neededto move the member |13 along the arcuate guard |16.

Since the arcuate guard |15` has its center of substantially the same point as the center of rotation of the knife, it will be seen that the projection |14 will travel along an arcuate path adjacent the cutting edge of the knife as the member H3 moves relatively to the guard |16. In order to maintain the supporting surface of the projection |14 in substantially the same plane as the supporting surface of the table, I provide a cam slot |82 in the edge ofthe casting 2d which lies adjacent'the cutting plane of the knife. I also rigidly mount a pivot pin |83 in the opening |86 of the member |13. On this pivot pin I provide a bearing portion which rotatably supports a roller |86 preferably having the outer peripheral surface thereof substantially arcuate in cross-section as best illustrated in Fig. 7. By this arrangement it will be seen that as the work holder 23 is moved along the guide 8, the roller itt is caused to travel in the cam slot |82 thereby causing the member |13 to travel upwardly along the guide |16, being guided in this movement by the arcuate slot |18 and the rollers itl. In this manner the supporting sur- I face of the projection |78 always lies in substantially the same plane as the supporting surface of the work holder 23.

In Figs. 9, l0 and 12 I have shown a modification of my invention which embodiesv a slice receiving platform movable with the work hold-A er. In order to carry out this invention properly I provide the member 3 which corresponds to the member 3 in Fig. l with a longitudinal slot 29| in the guard portion 'l'. Otherwise the member 3 is the same` as the member 3 in Fig. 1.

In the boss 292 on the casting 203 which supports the work holder Zilli and which is similar to the casting it (Fig. 4), I secure a rod 205 by means of a pin 2&6', or if desired by means of a set screw. A reinforced skeleton casting 208 has bearings 2E? through which the rod 205 extends; Set screws 258 are used to prevent rotational movement of the casting 266 about the rod 205. In order to prevent rotational movement of the casting 295 about the rod 235, I may also employ a square rod extending through correspondingly shaped bearings in the casting or I may use any other desired means for accomplishing this purpose. j

On the top of the casting 266, I mount a sheet metal slice receiving plate 2539 reinforced by a bead 2li), which surrounds the outer periphery thereof.` As is best seen in Fig. 9 the vclearance space below the knife enables the slice receiver to pass beneath the lower edge of .the knife so that the slices' will be more effectively deposited on theslice receiving platform. The member 289 is secured to the casting 283 by means of the screws 2| i, and a handle 2| 2 secured to the casting 2335 at 253 provides means whereby the slice receiver may be held when it is desired to remove the same from the rod 205. The handle 2i2 may also be used to reciprocate the slice receiver and Work holder while the operator is holding the substance in the V-shaped work holder and feeding the same towards the cutting plane of the knife. In other words, the operator would grasp the handle 2|2 with his left hand and hold the substance being Sliced with his right hand.

Other modifications of my invention will appear to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, and therefore I do not wish to limit myself to the particular features of novelty shown inthe accompanying drawings. The scope of my invention is clearly set forth in the claims whichform a part-of this appli# cation. v y A l Having thus 'fully described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters PatentA ofthe UnitedStates is: u 1. A slicing machine `comprising a slicing knife, a work holder, a guide for `saiol work holder, a cover for said guide, and a guard forniing an extension of f said cover for protecting said guide'on the sidefthereof adjacentvsaid knife, said guard having a longitudinal opening therein, and aI slice receiving table having anV extension extending through said slot and operatively connected to said work holder, said'slice receiving table being Aadapted 'to receive the slices as they are' cut by said knife. v

l2. In a slicing machine the combination with a slicing knife, of a' work support .guided for movement relatively to said` slicing lknife and being so mounted withrespect to saidknife that the relative movement'between said knife and said Work support causes the point of inl tersection of the cutting edge of vsaid knife with the plane of the supporting surfaceof saidwork holder to move along an arcuate pathaboutl the center of the knife, a slice support for supporting the lower edge of the slice as it is being cut at all times .while the slice is beingformed, and'means for moving said" slice support along an arcuate path parallel to the aforementioned arcuate path in position to engage the said edge of said'slice at all times during the formation of said slice. v

3. Ina slicing'machine the combination with a substancesupport, of `a slicing'knife movable relatively thereto, the supporting surface of said support being inclined to thepath V'ofl relative' movement of said support and knife and a slice support having means cooperating therewith for causing the same to move so that the operative surface thereof is substantially in the plane of the supporting surface of said substance support at all times during the relative movement 'of said knife and support, said last mentioned means comprising a guard for the edge of ysaid knife, and co-operating cams on said guard and substance support acting on said slice supportv to moveV thesame in the aforesaid manner as said knife and supportA move relativelyto eachother.

4.'In a slicing machine, the combination with a slicing knife, of a work support for supporting the substance While it is being sliced, a` gage plate adjustable to various positions in a planeparallel to the cutting plane of said knife, a guard carried by said gage plate for guarding the edge of said knife flector for deflecting slices as theyare formed, a reciprocating work table having a combined substance clamp andfeeding means vthereon for feeding the substance toward said -gage plate so that slices may be cut therefrom,.`said\dev flector having a portion thereof extending beneath the edge of said knifeto guard' the edge` of said knife, a rubbing plate adjacent said knife on the same side as. said work support for'v preventing the engagement of the substance with the knife as the substance is moved past said knife by said support, a slice receiver for receiving slices Aas they same are cut by saidv knife,` said slice receiver being movable with said support and on the side of site toy said support, a slice support movably mounted adjacent the edge of said rstsupport'` and means for moving said slice support during.

said knife oppoadjacent thereto, 1a derelative movement of.y said substancasupport and knife towardk each other, in a direction` such as to maintain the said slice supportalways adjacent the edge of said support, and substantially in the plane of the supporting 4surface thereof, for supporting the slice adjacent Athe cutting edge of said knife at all times during the formation of the same.

5. In a slicing machine, the combinationv with a slicing knife, ofa work support for ,moving the work past the knife and for supporting that portion of the substance which isbeing severed, comprising a table upon which the substance is supported, said tablebeing inclined. in the direction ofitstravel to a plane parallel to its path of travel one` edge of said tableV lying adjacent the cutting vplane. of the knife, a slice support movably mountedadjacent the forward edge of the knife and having its sup-V porting surface always in'substantially the same plane as the supporting surface of said table, and means, for moving/said slice support so, that its supporting surface will always lie substantially in the plane of said -table during the reciprocation of said table past ysaid knife.

- 6. In a slicing machine, the combination with a slicing knife, Va substance support movable along a predetermined path, the supportingr sur- .face of said table which lies adjacent said` knife being inclined in a plane at an angle to `the path of travel of said table so that the intersection of a plane through the supporting sur-r face of said table and the cutting edge of said knife changes with respect toa fixed point about the axis of. rotationl of said knife, a supplemental slice support arranged immediately in front of the knife and guided to travel about the cutting edge (of said knife and adjacent thereto at al1-times` during reciprocation .of said table,- and means for moving said slice support so that said support always is in substantially the same plane as the adjacent supporting surface of said table.

'1. In aislicing machine, the combination with a slicing knife, of a trough forv supporting the substance to be'sliced and Amovable past the cutting edge of said knifeso thatfsubstancesffsup; ported in said trough will have-slicescutgthereifrom by said knife, aslice support arranged ade jacent the edge of said troughwhich lies :adj-- jacent the cutting planev` of said knife, saidjslice support having a portion thereof arranged on the opposite side ofthe cutting -plane of said knife from said trough, `and means operatively connected' to said trough to be actuated thereby and operable when saidtrough is `moved for controlling .the movement off said slice supportas said trough moves past said knife for retaining said slice support adjacent the cutting .edge of said knife and substantially at the same place as that portion of the trough which lies adjacent the Lcutting edge of said knife, the surface of the troughvhaving portions vthereof adjacent thecutting plane -inclined at an angle to the path of reciprocating movement thereof. A i K Y 8. Inn a slicing machine, the combination with a knife arranged in a substantially vertical plane, a gage plate arranged with the substance Y engaging surface thereof substantially parallel to thev cutting plane of said Ykniferand movable to and from said cutting plane, a substance sup,- port having` the substance supporting surface thereof extending substantially at right angles to the cuttinglplane of said knife and lrecipro-l between saidA support and knife, and adapted z;

to engage the endof the substance from which the slices are formed as the substance is moved in tomengagementwith said knifeto prevent the upward movement of the substance away from saidnsubfstance support.-y

.9. In a slicing machine, the combination with avslicing knife, of a substance support movable past said knifein a: plane substantiallyparallel to the-cutting plane of said knife, a gage'plate' comprising a substance engaging member arranged substantially parallel with the cutting plane of said knife 4for limiting the vposition of the end of the substance adjacent the cutting plane of said knife as the substance is moved along said` supportl toward and against said gage plate, whereby the thickness of the slice to be vformed is determined, said memberbeing mounted for pivotal movement in a plane .substantiallyi'parallelto the cuttingr plane of said knife froman operative position in which a portion thereof lies closely adjacent the cutting edge of said knife to an inoperative position remote from the cuttingredge vof said knife, means for normally positively preventing pivotal movement of said member from said operative positionto said inoperative position during normal movement thereof to and from said cutting plane, means selectively operable by the operator for permitting said member to be moved to iits inoperative position, and means for constraining said gage plate to move in a path wholly t'o one side of the cutting plane of saidknife whilebeing'moved to and from. said inoperative position, said selectively operable means comprising a releasable adjustable means for permitting extended movement of said member beyondv the normal. permitted movement thereof-,in a direction towardand from the cutting plane ofsaid knife, and a guide pin which normally prevents rotative movement of said gage plate during normal movement thereof but whichis renderedinoperative when said gag plate is given said extended movement.

1i). In--a slicing machinarthe combination with a slicing knife,` of a guard vplate positioned adjacent said knife withritsV substance engaging surface substantially in the cutting plane of said knife, a base for `supporting said guardl plate, and means for detachably connecting said guard plate on said. base comprising downwardly extending pins on said guard plate arranged within openings .in said supporting ibase, the said pins havingrneans thereon for frictionally grip'- pingrthe wallsof 'said openings, and means fory preventing lateral play of-saidy pins within said openings whereby the guard plate is positioned rigidly. adjacent the cutting plane of said knife against movement perpendicular to the cutting plane thereof but is readily detachable on movement of said guard plate in a direction parallel to said pins solely by a manual force kapplied tween said guide and the cutting plane of said knife, said downwardly extending portion having a longitudinal slot therein parallel to said guide rod, a slice receiving table on the same side of said downwardly extending portion of said cover as said knife having an extension extending through said slot and having a porfor gaging the thickness of the slice to be out,

and a mounting for said gage plate comprising a bearing on said support, a shaft extending through said bearing and secured to said gage plate, a pin on said gage plate extending parallel to said shaft and normally arranged within an opening in said support so that upon longitudinal movement of said shaft, said gage plate will move in the direction of the length of the shaft but cannot rotate while said pin is Within said opening, and means for moving said shaft longitudinally, said pin beingrmovable out of its bearing on an extended movement of said shaft without releasing said shaft from said bearing, whereby said gage plate can pivot around said shaft to and from an inoperative position.

i3. In a slicing machine, the combination with a support, of a slicing knife, a gage plate for gaging the thickness of the slice to be out, and a mounting for said gage plate comprising a bearing on said support, a shaft extending through said bearing and secured to said gage plate, a pin on said gage plate extending parallel to said shaft and normally arranged within an opening in said support so that upon longitudinal movement of said shaft, said gage plate will move in the direction of the length of the shaft but cannot rotate while said pin is within said opening, and means for moving said shaft longitudinally, this pin being movable out of its bearing on an extended movement of said shaft without releasing said shaft from said bearing therefor, whereby said gage plate can pivot about said shaft to and from an inoperative position, said pin having friction means associated therewith for frictionally holding said pin firmly within said opening against lateral shifting movement therein.

14. In a slicing machine, the combination with a support, of a slicing knife, a gage plate for gaging the thickness of the slice to be cut, and a mounting for said gage plate comprising a bearing on said support, a shaft extending through said bearing and secured to said gage plate, a pin on said gage plate extending parallel to said shaft and normally arranged within an opening in said support so that upon longitudinal movement of said shaft, said gage plate will move in the direction of the length of the shaft but cannot rotate while said pin is within said opening, and means for moving said shaft longitudinally, this pin being movable out of its bearing on an extended movement of said shaft without releasing said shaft from said bearing therefor, whereby said gage plate can pivot about said shaft to and from an inoperative position, said pin being split longitudinally and of an outer diameter slightly larger than said opening at the free end of the pin whereby the split portions of said pin are sprung inwardly toward each other when arranged within said opening and prevent any substantial lateral play of said pin within said opening.

l5.` In a slicing machine, the combination with a support, of a slicing knife, a gage plate for gaging the thickness of the slice to be cut, and a mounting for said gage plate comprising' a bearing on said support, a shaft extending through said bearing and secured to said gage plate, a pin on said gage plate extending parallel to said shaft and normally arranged within an opening in said support so that upon longitudinal movement of said shaft, said gage plate will move in the direction of the length of the shaft but cannot rotate while said pin i's-within said opening, and means for moving said shaft longitudinally, this pin being movable out of its bearing on an extended movement of said shaft without releasing said shaft from said bearing therefor, whereby said gage plate can pivot about said shaft to and from an inoperative position, said means for moving said shaft longitudinally including a spring for moving said shaft in one direction, and a threaded member for moving said shaft against the action of said spring.

i6. A device as set forth in claim l2 in which said shaft has a permitted normal longitudinal movement for positioning the gage plate at different distances from the cutting planeof said knife and in which there is a limiting stop for limiting the extent of movement of said gagek plate more than a predetermined distance away from the cutting plane of said knife, said shaft having permitted movement beyond the position where it may be arrested by said stop and said stop being releasable to permit said gage plate to have an extended movement beyond said predetermined amount sufcient to remove said pin s from said opening and permit rotative movement of said gage plate about the axis of said-shaft to a position remote from the cutting edge of'said knife. o

17. In a slicing machine, the combination with a cutting knife, of a support movable relative thereto, the surface of the substance support adjacent the cutting plane of the knife diverging from the direction of relative reciprocation in a plane parallel to the cutting plane of the knife, whereby the point of intersection of the cutting edge of the knife and the supporting surface extended varies in a direction toward and from a line in the cutting plane of the knife, extending parallel to the path of relative reciprocation, a slice support arranged closely adjacent the cutting edge of the knife having a path of travel substantially parallel thereto, and means for moving said slice support along its path in timed relation to the movement of said support to position the supporting surface of said slice support substantially in the same position relative to the aforesaid point of intersection, substantially at all times during the relative reciprocation of said knife and said support, whereby the slice being formed is supported closely adjacent the cutting edge of the knife at substantially all times during the formation of the slice.

18. A device as set forth in claim 1'7, in which means is provided for guiding the slice support along its path comprising a member having a slot therein substantially parallel with the cutting edge of said knife, and a pin connected to said slice support, arranged in said slot and guided thereby.

19. A device as set forth in claim 17, in which means is provided for guiding the slice support along its path comprising a member having a slottherein substantially parallel with the cut- -ting edge of said knife, and a pin, connecting said slice support, arranged in said slot and 4guided thereby, and in which the means for moving said slice support comprises a guiding means arranged between said slice support and the adjacent edge of said substance support extending parallel to the edge of said substance support, and having means cooperating with means on said slice support.

20. A device as set forth in claim 17, in which means is provided for guiding the slice support along its path comprising a slot substantially concentric with thecutting edge of said knife and a pin connected to said slice support, extending through said slot and guided thereby,

and in whichthe means for moving said slice support comprises an extending portion on said slice support, guided within a slot in the adjacentredge of said substance support extending substantially parallel with the adjacent substance supporting edge thereof, whereby the relative movement of said supporting knife causes the slice support to move arcuately of the cutting edge of said knife while guided by said pin within said arcuate slot, due to the camming `action of said extension on said slice support cooperating with the sides of said slot in said substance support.

21. In a slicing machine, the combination Awith a slicing knife of a substance support guided for reciprocation in a rectilinear path past the cutting edge of said knife, and having the edge of said support adjacent said knife sloping at an angle to the path of reciprocation of said va member guided for movement in said arcuate slot carrying a slice supporting projection,

means connected to said slice supporting ,pro-

jection arranged within a slot intheadjacent tersectionbetween the cutting edge of said knife and the supporting vsurface of said substance support extended.

,.22. In Vay vslicing machine, the combination with a .slicing knife of a substance ysupport movablepast the cutting edge of said knife, in a vplane substantially parallel to the cutting plane of said knife, a guard plate positioned adjacent the path of movement of said substance support for engaging the end of said substance from which a slice is removed after the substance passes the cutting edge of the knife, said guard plate having the substance engaging the surface thereof formed with a plurality of ribs extending substantially parallel to the path of movement of said substance support to hold the substance firmly on said support as the substance is being sliced, and for preventing the substance from rubbing against the side of said knife, and a gage plate located forwardly of the cutting edge of said knife substantially parallel to said guard plate, for gaging the pick-up of the slice being formed, and for guiding the adjacent end of said substance during the formation of said slice, said gage plate having a plurality of ribs thereon extending substantially parallel to the path of movement of said substance, and to said rst mentioned rib, whereby the substance is held down against the substance supporting'tresses of said support at all times during the formation of the slice by the ribs on said guard plate and gage plate which lie on opposite sides of the cutting edge of said knife.

JOSEPH FOLK. 

